8/28 RING OF HONOR TV REPORT: Dragon Lee vs. Eli Isom, Love vs. Max The Impaler, Kay vs. Adora, more

RING OF HONOR TV (EPISODE #519)
AUGUST 28, 2021
AIRED ON SINCLAIR SYNDICATED TV & ROHWRESTLING.COM
REPORT BY CHRISTOPHER MAITLAND

Host: Quinn McKay

Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

Ring Announcer: Bobby Cruise

– The opening theme aired. Ian Riccaboni welcomes fans to the episode, substituting for Quinn McKay. He starts by saying they are proud of her and this is just a start of her journey. The rest of the quarterfinals of the ROH’s Women’s Tournament continues on this episode. Angelina Love will wrestle Max the Impaler and Allysin Kay wrestles Trish Adora. Rok-C and Miranda Alize won quarterfinals matches last week. The main event is for the ROH Television title. Dragon Lee will defend his title against Eli Isom.

– Angelina Love introduces herself as a veteran of two decades, a 7 time world champion, and a one-time tag champion. She feels the women’s tournament was made for her. She isn’t worried about anything or anyone. She said she got a bye for beating Quinn McKay which was easy. Love said the Allure worked with Max the Impaler and Amy Rose before and Rose said that Love owed her. Love wasn’t going to give up her place in the tournament. Love says she has proven that she shouldn’t be messed with and to not be surprised when she wins.

(Maitland’s Thoughts: Good promo by Love showing the history she has with Max the Impaler. I know this isn’t possible, but it would have been good for ROH to integrate footage from Glory By Honor to show how Love is scared of Max. They did show that Max, alongside Vita VonStarr, were victorious against the Allure in Max’s pre match graphic. I should point out that ROH has a new introduction video at the beginning of the show.)

(1) ANGELINA LOVE vs. MAX THE IMPALER

Ian welcomes everyone to the show. Angelina Love comes out first. Max the Implaer, accompanied by Amy Rose comes out next. Before the match, Rose asks Love if she is sure she wants to do this. Love says you should know who you are talking to. Rose responds with I told you and says get her. Max charges at Love.

Code of honor not adhered to. Love hits Max twice. Max does not move. Max charges Love in the corner and Love kicks Max who no sells. Max charges again but Love goes outside of the ring. Love and Rose argue on the outside. Max throws Love into the barricade. (c)

Love tries to crawl away from Max on the outside. Love tries to climb back into the ring but Max grabs her and drags her onto the floor. Max tries to strike Love but Max ends up hitting the ring post. Love shoves Max into the ring post twice. Max staggers but Rose tells her to get back into the ring. Love strikes Max repeatedly and Max no sells again. Max catches Love’s wrist and headbutts Love. Max gets Love into the Torture Rack and bends Love. Love elbows Max and tries to sunset flip them. Max grabs Love and slingshots her against the ropes. Love rolls outside but Max throws her into the ring steps. Rose tells Max to finish this. Max goes back into the ring and pulls Love up. They out Love into a sleeper hold around the rope. Referee Joe Mandak tells Max to break the hold and attempts to pull Max off. Max refuses to break the hold and Mandak counts to five, disqualifying Max. The bell rings and Rose gives a signal to Max who releases the sleeper causing Love to drop to the floor. Love falls on her arm and shoulder. (c)

WINNER: Angelina Love at 5:53

The bell rings and Rose gives a signal to Max who releases the sleeper causing Love to drop to the floor. Love falls on her arm and shoulder. Rose goes into the ring, waves at Love and raises Max’s hand. Mandak tries to assist Love.

(Maitland’s Thoughts: This finish made no sense. The storyline of Love winning by disqualification, but carrying an injury against Rok-C makes sense. None of the rest of this did. Why would Rose try to get Love to drop out of the tournament only to allow Max to get disqualified and eliminated? Hopefully this gets explained. The match told a good story, but the finish left me scratching my head.)

(2) ALLYSIN KAY vs. TRISH ADORA

Chelsea Green replaces Caprice Coleman for commentary for this match. Allysin Kay comes out first. In a pre-match promo, Kay says she is excited to wrestle Trish Adora. It’s lariat vs lariat. They both know what’s coming but at the end of the day everyone learns the same thing. AK don’t play. Trish Adora comes out next. In a pre-match promo, Adora says she has a tough second round ahead of her. Adora says she is technically sound, has lariats to spare, and with her community behind her. She will take it to the top.

(Maitland’s Thoughts: Good promos by both competitors. They showed mutual admiration, but also a desire to show who was better.)

Code of honor adhered. Match begins with a lock up. They struggle to gain control through arm locks. Adora gets a roll up for a two count. Kay gets control through a headlock. Adora rolls her over a two count. Adora breaks out through a head scissors. Kay breaks out and they go to lock up again. Kay takes Adora down for a one count. Kay grabs a head lock and a front face lock. Adora breaks out and gets a wrist lock. Kay rolls out, they stand up, and Kay grabs a wrist lock. Adora breaks out and grabs a hammerlock. Adora goes for a head scissors but Kay gets hold of her and slams her. Kay goes for a cross arm breaker. Adora tries to block it. Adora rolls over for a two count and Kay breaks the hold. (c)

During the break, Kay and Adora traded holds. Kay goes for Adora’s leg. Adora rolls over and Kay pins her for a one count. Kay kicks Adora, picks her up and dumps her over the top rope onto the floor. Kay goes to the ring apron and hits Adora with the penalty kick. Kay hits Adora into the apron and throws her back into the ring. Kay repeatedly kicks Adora. Kay goes for a pin but Adora kicks out at two. Kay throws Adora into the corner and chops her. Kay climbs the rope and hits forearms Adora. She throws Adora into the corner and snap mares her into the middle of the ring. Kay goes for a sleeper but Adora blocks it. Kay strikes Adora in the chest and reapplies the hold. Adora stands up but Kay throws her onto the ground. Kay starts taunting Adora by shoving her in the face. This annoys Adora who stands up and tries to hit Kay with a forearm. Kay ducks and chops Aodra. Kay taunts Adora asking her to come on. Adora goes for another forearm. Kay ducks again and kicks Adora. Kay charges Adora in the corner but Adora moves out of the way. Adora hits Kay with two forearms and a cross body. Adora kicks Kay and hits her in the corner. She follows with a backbreaker for a two count. Kay charges Adora but Adora grabs her and hits a DDT for a two count. Adora misses an enziguri and Kay hits a German suplex. Kay goes for another German suplex but Adora blocks it and kicks Kay in the arm. Adora goes for Lariat Tubman but Kay blocks it and applies the kimura. Adora counters into a two count. Adora pins through a bridge but when Kay kicks out she grabs Adora into a choke. Adora rolls to the rope to break the hold. Kay kicks Adora who staggers and Kay shoves her to the mat for a two count. Kay charges Adora but misses the discus lariat. Adora hits an enziguri. Adora tries to hit the Lariat Tubman but Kay ducks and goes for a crucifix. Kay elbows Adora, taking Adora down to her knees. Kay continues with elbows but Adora rolls out to the ropes. Kay grabs Adora and goes for a powerbomb. Adora breaks out runs the ropes and hits the Lariat Tubman for the victory. They shake hands after the match. (c)

WINNER: Trish Adora at 13:50

(Maitland’s Thoughts: I loved this match. Probably my favorite match of the tournament. What began as an athletic contest became a fight. It told a great story with Kay being the cocky veteran and Adora being able to hold on long enough to get the victory. I can’t recommend this enough.)

-A graphic is shown for the next ROH pay per view. Death Before Dishonor on September 12. Matches announced include Eli Isom vs Dalton Castle, the OGK (Mike Bennett and Matt Taven) vs the Briscoes, a ROH Six Man championship match between champions Shane Taylor Promotions vs LFI (Bestia, Dragon Lee, Kenny King), a ROH Pure championship match between champion Jonathan Gresham and Josh Woods, and a match for the ROH World Championship where Bandido will defend his title against challengers Brody King, Demonic Flamita, and EC3.

(Maitland’s Thoughts: This card will also include the finals of the ROH Women’s Tournament, Vlnce Unltd against three Pure wresters, and a match between two recently released wrestlers. That is eight matches so there will only be one or two more announced. Rush was initially announced for the six man match but was injured at Glory by Honor.)

(3) DRAGON LEE (c) vs. ELI ISOM – ROH Television Championship Match

Dalton Castle joins on commentary. Eli Isom comes out first. In a pre-match promo, Isom says for months his sole focus has been the ROH TV title. He has climbed the ranks and has alluded every destruction and obstacle put in his way. He says he is one match, three seconds away from being the ROH champion. When he wins, he will fulfill the promise to his family. He says he will defeat Dragon Lee to become the TV champion. Dragon Lee comes out next. In a pre-match promo, says that Eli Isom is a good wrester but the champion is back. He is going to defend what he never lost. He says the Dragon has awaken. The commentary team notes that Lee wearing white shows that he is taking Isom very seriously.

(Maitland’s Thoughts: Eli Isom cuts a believable babyface promo about finally getting his chance at the TV title and wrestling to honor his family, especially his late mother. With Castle on commentary and their match already announced, I think we know how this will end.)

Code of honor adhered to. They lock up. Lee puts Isom on the rope and breaks cleanly. Isom backs Lee into the ropes and follows with a clean break. Isom kicks Lee in the stomach followed by a snap mare. Isom gets up misses a punch and Lee does the LFI pose. (c)

Dragon Lee goes for a handshake. Isom kicks Lee in the stomach and grabs a headlock. Lee fights out and gets thrown to the ropes. Isom misses a punch and Lee hits a head scissors sending Isom to the outside. Isom dives over the top rope onto Isom. Lee looks at the commentary team to get applause. Lee throws Isom into the barricade and back inside. Lee body slams Isom and applies multiple submission holds to Isom. Isom fights out and Lee applies the stretch muffler. Isom grabs the ropes to break the hold. Lee charges in and catches a boot from Isom. Lee staggers and Isom jumps arm drags Lee sending him to the outside. Lee dives onto Isom and throws him back inside. Isom jumps off the top rope for a splash for a two count. Isom and Lee trade forearms and kicks until Lee dropkicks Isom. Both competitors are slow to get up. Isom slowly goes into the corner. Lee runs kicks Lee, jumps over the ropes, and hits Lee with a dropkick. (c)

Lee charges again but Isom catches him and hits a German suplex. Lee gets up and German suplexes Isom. Isom gets up and German suplexes Lee. Lee gets up and they trade clotheslines. Isom hits a back elbow an enziguri. Isom turns his back to Lee and Lee hits a poisoned hurricanrana. Lee runs the ropes but Isom hits a clothesline for a two count. Isom charges Lee but Lee moves out of the way. Isom hits the ropes and gets hit with a snap German suplex. Isom hits Lee with a big boot. Isom runs the ropes but Lee follows him and hits a clothesline. Lee grabs Isom from behind and turns him around. Isom counters and hits a backbreaker followed by a neckbreaker for a two count. Isom goes for the Promise but Lee blocks and suplexes Isom onto the ropes. With Isom draped over the ropes, Lee climbs the top rope and dropkicks Isom to the back. Lee hits a running knee followed by a snap mare. Lee goes for the running knee again but Isom catches it, stands up and hits Lee with a series of strikes. He misses an enziguri and Lee hits a knee to back of Isom’s head for a two count. Lee hits Isom with another knee while grabbing Isom’s wrist. Lee repeatedly kicks Isom. Isom gets up, grabs Isom and hits the Promise. Lee kicks out. Isom goes for it again but Lee floats over and hits a knee. Both men are down but Lee is holding Isom’s wrist. Lee hits Isom with a knee but is slow to get up. Lee hits the Descodora (falcon arrow) for the two count. Lee hits Isom with the Incinerator for the victory. Joe Mandak helps Isom to his feet. Lee shakes Isom’s hand and they hug. Isom looks dejected in the ring.

WINNER: Dragon Lee at 12:25

Next week on ROH television, the semifinals of the ROH Women’s tournament will take place. Miranda Alize will wrestle Trish Adora and Angelina Love will wrestle Rok-C. Also airing an eight man tag match between Shane Taylor Promotions and La Faccion Ingobernable.

(Maitland’s Thoughts: Good match. I assumed that Castle would be involved in the finish leading to the match at Death Before Dishonor, but that did not happen. Isom promising to win after getting this far and losing looks bad. The only storyline positive is the respect that Lee showed at the end of the match. There was friction between Lee and Rush at Glory by Honor and perhaps that will continue going forward. I enjoyed this show from a match quality standpoint, though the finishes of the first and third matches left a lot to be desired.)

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S ROH TV REPORT: 8/21 RING OF HONOR TV REPORT: Demonic Flamita vs. Rey Horus, Rok-C vs. Quinn McKay, Miranda Alize vs. Nicole Savoy, more